Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1887-01-15

Delivered ut the Opening Of the Twenty.
second Session Of the Kansas State Leg.
islatare.
Tothe Senate and House of Representatives.:
To be elected chief executive of this great
intelligent and progressive state for q sec
ond term. is dis inguished honor. And
trust it is not inappropriate for me to ex-
press to the people of Kansas, through you,
their chosen representatives, my grateful sp-
probation of their generous confidence, my
profound sense Of the responsibilities de-
volved upon me, and my earnest hope that
may, by an honest, faithful and conscien-
tious performance of my official duties, in
some measure justify the faith they have
reposed in me.
The growth of Kansas, during the past
two years, has been extraordinary. The GEN.
sus of March LIST. 1884, gave the state pop
ulation of /, 135, GA; that Of March LIST 1886,
showed an increase to 1, 400, 1888; and our
population now exceeds 100000. Since
the first CT January, 1885, fifteen new coun-
had, at the date of their organization, an
aggregate population of 1854, and they
polled, at the November election, (three not
voting,) total of 13, 108 votes. They in
clude territorial area of IA ,355 square
miles. Only two of the one hundred coun-
ties of the state, embracing an area of |, $50
square miles, remain to be organized.
During the came period, two cities, Wioh-
ita and Kansas City, have been organized a,
cities of the first class, and thirteen, Cherry
vale, Abilene, Eureka, Minneapolis, An
thony, Ell Dorado, Seneca, Weir, Great Bend,
Dodge City, Larned, Hutchinson and South
Topeka. as cities of the second class.
Two years ago the railway mileage of Kan
sas aggregated only A. 1861 miles, assessed
at $28, 455, 9O7 sc, and traversing seventy
three counties of the state. To-day Kansas
has {. 060 miles of completed railway, the
assessed value of which is fully $39, 0O0, 900.
These lines traverse eighty-six of our one
hundred counties.
In 1884 the assessed value of all the prop
erty of the state was 1921, O2O, 391; for 1856
it was $277, 575, 1853. We had, then, 13,011,-
333 acres in cultivation; last year we had
Sab, 49, acres.
The figures indicate the constant growth
of the state. They illustrate, also, not only
the faith our own citizens have ia the future
of Kansas, but the confidence the people of
other states and countries feel in its sub
stantial and continuous development. The
influx of foreign capital and enterprise has,
indeed, surpassed that of any other period
in the states history. The railroad build
ing of the past year has been phenomenal
ia exceeding that aocompli b ID du-ing
previous season. The growtI of Our citl,s
and towns, also. has been unexampled
the history of any state, and the rapid.
steady, and, in some instances, extravagar
increase in property values, is remarkable.
You, gentlemen of tho legislature, ar
assembled to make laws for this great state
In your hands, also, rests all authority t.
levy taxes and direct the expenditure of tn
public revenues. In largo measure, there
wealth and the prosperity and happiness OF
its people, depend upon your action. The
different state and bureau officers and the
boards having charge of our public institu
tions, will all submit to you, for your infor-
nation and consideration, their biennial
reports. trust you will examine these re-
ports carefully, to the end that you may act
upon the suggestions or recommendation.
they embody with delibe ration and justice
1t is natural that each officer charged with
the performance of specific duties, and each
board appointed to manage public trust,
should believe that the interests and needs
of his or its department. are most important
and pressing. Consider carefully all the
recommendations thus made, but beer in
mind, at the same time, the interests and
needs of the people. The year just closed
has not been, In many respects aprosperous
season. The crops have been short, cpl
denies have brought heavy losses upon
stock raisers, the prices Of all cereals and |
stock have ruled low, and many Of our citi- /
Wl009Df64Q
industrial depression. Economy in all ap-
preparations made for the ensuing biennial
period, is, therefore, alike desirable and
necessary. No good citizen will complain
concerning public expenditure shown to
be essential; all have right to complain,
If, during such period a. the present, un-
intelligent citizens know that taxation for
state purposes has never been burdensome
or excessive, but they know, also, that every
mill added by the state is feather laid
upon the dreadful load of municipal taxa
ton that threatens to crush the energy and
enterprise of 80 many Ut our counties, town
ships and cities. earnestly urge, there
fore, that no expenditure be authorized
unless its necessity be clearly shown; that
all appropriations which will bear delay, be
postponed; and that resolute effort be
made to reduce the burdens of state taxa
ton to the lowest possible limit consistent
with the needs of wise and economical ad-
of the public business.
NEW COUNTIES.
Fifteen new counties have been organized
during the past two years, viz: Comanche,
9th, Clark, May 9th, Thomas,
and Hamilton, January 18th, KioWa, March
I'D, Cheyenne, April LIST, Lane, June Sd,
Seward, June 18th, Scott, june 18th, Stevens.
August Sd, Cove, September I'd, Sherman,
September 3Oth, Morton, November 18th,
md Wichita, December oath, 1886.
Should thelegislature, by changes in coun- |
y lines, create additional counties, earn |
,stly recommend that the law governing /
heir organization be made mere specific in |
b directions. It is, in its present form, con-
using and inadequate. The organization of |
Yearly every new county il attended by an |
Netting contest over the location If the |
temporary seat Of justice, and the governor
9 required to locate such county seat at the
,lace designated 'sby majority of the legal |
'oters in Q memorial" How he is to deter
nine who are legal voters, and how the me-
MORALS presented are to be verified, is not
,rsecribed. would suggest that, on the
Of legal petition asking that
lew county be organized, the executive
'hould be empowered to appoint some citi-
IN Of the state, not q resident of nor inter-
lsted in the proposed new county, as census
aker, and that said census taker, in addi-
Ion to the duties now prescribed by
AZ, should be required to take an
l1pression Of the preference of the legal